Not too long after the ambush, Thad’s tour in Vietnam had ended and he received an honorable discharge. He was awarded a bronze star upon doing so, but was rather indifferent at his reception. Going to ‘Nam had been a watershed moment in Thad’s life – while his reticence remained unchanged, he had been left jaded by the death of his best friend, and by the bloodshed he saw in what he called “the field.”

Returning home wasn’t any easier for Thad. Upon coming back to Eastport, he received news his mother passed away of stress cardiomyopathy, or what they called at the time “a broken heart.” While Thad kept the peace with his father in his later years, Shaun saw Thad’s departure as a cross between betrayal and abandonment. Thad couldn’t return home with a straight face, and set out to live with his maternal uncle, Arthur Blaine, who lived in Bangor. Arthur had managed a small but respectable construction firm and Thad was put to work to earn his keep.

Not everything was bad upon returning to the Pine Tree State. Thad had learned of the results of the 1968 presidential election, and while indifferent on Nixon, thought him to be much better than his alternatives (though this would change as his presidency progressed.) The seemingly ubiquitous Hippie Movement had not passed Thad by – he became involved in a small degree when protesting the Urban Renewal that was hitting Bangor hard. Over time he had acquainted himself with several of the hippies, and while he certainly dug the psychedelic drugs, the music, and the peace movement, he never wore flowers in his hair.

Upon turning twenty-five, he realized he was half way towards thirty, and set out to turn the page to the next chapter of his life.

Thad O’Connor bade farewell to his uncle and the friends he had made in Bangor. Arthur was understanding, and gave Thad $200 in parting for sustenance. Thad took little with him other than his fedora and duster, and hitched a ride to Portland.

Thad had spent several weeks searching for a job, nearly losing all of his cash in the process. He finally managed to obtain a job at Stevenson Brewing Company, owned by James Stevenson. This was where Thad would develop his notorious fondness for alcohol. Upon being employed, he worked out a deal with the manager where he would be permitted to sleep in the storage room. This went on for four months, until the owner’s son had discovered Thad.

He must have been over six feet tall, and well over two hundred pounds, though most of it was toned quite well, the protruding gut notwithstanding. His jaw was small and square, fitting well on his cylindrical head, and he had a brazen, yet warming personality. He introduced himself as Hank Stevenson.

Thad and Hank Stevenson got to know each other much better over the next few months. Hank, who was Treasurer of the Maine Republican Party, helped rekindle Thad’s interest in politics, though at times they would get into tense arguments over Nixon’s legacy. Thad would come to feel vindicated in the wake of Watergate, though he was a good sport over it. He also was permitted to sleep in the attic of Hank’s house, which was only two blocks away from the brewery.

Thad also became a regular attendant of state Republican meetings, acquainting himself with those in the higher echelons of the organization. Having been an ardent Ford supporter, he watched the Republican Convention with trepidation, and his eyes lit up in glee when Gerald Ford announced his running mate.

“He is a man that, despite his youth, has been an asset to the party, and maintained an air of objectivity during the Watergate hearings… I am proud to announce, I am selecting Howard Baker of Tennessee to be America’s next Vice President!”

The Ford-Baker ticket went on to win in a nailbiter over Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter.

Anyway, I shall reconsider the matter of Baker winning Tennessee - if I can access some electoral history or county maps of his and examine them closely, I'll reevaluate it. As things stand, though, Carter still holds onto the Volunteer State.

Yeah, after four years of being a non-disruptive poster on the forum, never considered a troublemaker, even someone who was liked well enough to be elected Atlasian President, Napoleon should be allowed to stay.

What's George Bysh doing? I always thought he'd be a good choice for State if Reagan didn't choose him for VP, or, in this case, if Kissinger retires.

Imminently stepping down as Head of the CIA and mulling over whether to run for the Presidency in 1980 or for Texas Senate in '82.

Maybe he could run for Governor of Texas in 1978. Howevery, from what I know, he was never really interested in domestic affairs, so maybe that wouldn't be the best move for him. My only concern with him running for the Senate would be that he's facing the ever unbeatable Lloyd Bentsen again.

What's George Bysh doing? I always thought he'd be a good choice for State if Reagan didn't choose him for VP, or, in this case, if Kissinger retires.

Imminently stepping down as Head of the CIA and mulling over whether to run for the Presidency in 1980 or for Texas Senate in '82.

Maybe he could run for Governor of Texas in 1978. Howevery, from what I know, he was never really interested in domestic affairs, so maybe that wouldn't be the best move for him. My only concern with him running for the Senate would be that he's facing the ever unbeatable Lloyd Bentsen again.

Well, ITTL, Bush is in quite the risk-averse/fair-weather disposition, given that time is running out for him to make a bid for the Presidency and he has a higher risk factor with each electoral defeat. In our own timeline, he saw being appointed Director of the CIA a serious blow to his chances (as it was very low-profile and apolitical) but acquiesced to the post.

I think Bush, in this scenario, is kicking himself not only for being passed over for vice president, but for Ford winning. Both being passed over for the second spot on the ticket & Ford winning, makes Bush's chances very slim for the presidency.

The thing with Bush, the story he tells is of Rummy trying to kick him out of Ford's inner circle, especially with the CIA appointment. The story Rumsfeld gives is that Bush was glad to take CIA as at the time he was actually unemployed and needed another appointment to keep his career on life support.

The thing with Bush, the story he tells is of Rummy trying to kick him out of Ford's inner circle, especially with the CIA appointment. The story Rumsfeld gives is that Bush was glad to take CIA as at the time he was actually unemployed and needed another appointment to keep his career on life support.

Look how it ended-Donald Rumsfeld got 0 votes in the 1988 primaries, fell into obscurity, and is now a disgraced former Sec. of Defense who was lucky enough to go Cleveland style in his appointment. Bush is a respected former President on the other hand...

The thing with Bush, the story he tells is of Rummy trying to kick him out of Ford's inner circle, especially with the CIA appointment. The story Rumsfeld gives is that Bush was glad to take CIA as at the time he was actually unemployed and needed another appointment to keep his career on life support.

Of course, different people are going to give mixed accounts.

Here's what I got:

Quote from: Mark Hatfield

Since the post had been traditionally nonpolitical, Bush suspected his rivals within the administration wanted to bury him there. Yet he felt he had no choice but to accept. His confirmation was stalled when congressional Democrats demanded that Bush promise not to run for vice president in 1976.

Also, from what I have read in Nelson Rockefeller's edition, Rumsfeld frequently sidelined Rockefeller whenever the latter tried to get more involved in the administration, leading me to believe that Rumsfeld was something of a control freak during his tenure as Chief of Staff.

The thing with Bush, the story he tells is of Rummy trying to kick him out of Ford's inner circle, especially with the CIA appointment. The story Rumsfeld gives is that Bush was glad to take CIA as at the time he was actually unemployed and needed another appointment to keep his career on life support.

Of course, different people are going to give mixed accounts.

Here's what I got:

Quote from: Mark Hatfield

Since the post had been traditionally nonpolitical, Bush suspected his rivals within the administration wanted to bury him there. Yet he felt he had no choice but to accept. His confirmation was stalled when congressional Democrats demanded that Bush promise not to run for vice president in 1976.

Also, from what I have read in Nelson Rockefeller's edition, Rumsfeld frequently sidelined Rockefeller whenever the latter tried to get more involved in the administration, leading me to believe that Rumsfeld was something of a control freak during his tenure as Chief of Staff.

Heh. From what Rummy tells, Rocky was basically trying to take over. He introduced his own (expensive) energy plan and at meetings would himself try to sideline Rumsfeld. Rumsfeld cites an incident where Rocky gave an hour and a half presentation and when Rumsfeld goes up to speak, Rockefeller continually tries to sideline him and bully him into submission. Weird.

Little has changed since Gerald Ford’s inauguration. The price controls, initiated by the President’s infamous predecessor, have been retained, to the ire of many conservatives. Purportedly, Secretary Rockefeller proposed the creation of a Department of Energy during cabinet talks, yet more conservative officials torpedoed it. Every day Americans languish in long lines at the pump, with only murky certainty that there will even be any gas when it’s “their turn.” All to shell out 63 cents, nearly double what it was when we entered this decade?

Economy

A silver lining of the past two years would without doubt be the economy. Despite rising inflation to the tune of seven percent by some estimates, the current trends indicate more prosperous times. The President reminded impatient Americans of the proverb, “Slow and steady wins the race.” Meanwhile, sensing Democratic gains in the 1978 midterms, congressional Republicans revealed an audacious plan: the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1977, or Kemp-Roth. The plan included deep cuts in taxes on the top marginal rate, along with cuts in Windfall Profits tax for corporations and smaller cuts for the bottom rate. Despite attempts to hasten its passage, the Democratic congress had successfully stalled it for the remainder of the 95th congress, making it dead on arrival in the succeeding one.

Confidence in Government

Though off to a good start with a 54% approval rating, the President has been slipping since. The Kemp-Roth tax cut, polling rather unpopular, was tied directly to the President despite his rather tepid backing of it. In addition, a scandal plaguing the administration in the summer of 1978, when it had been revealed that Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Vincent “Buddy” Cianci, whom had accepted generous kickbacks in exchange for turning a blind eye to poor loans. The coming scandal enabled congressional Democrats to hammer the Republican party as “the party of the rich, the crooked, and the oil men.”